This time of year we like to keep it simple. Stone fruits, perfectly ripened, don’t need much. Take a nectarine, any will do, but the white variety is sweeter and more floral. Cut it in half, take out the pit and slice the fruit into wedges. Put these on a plate.
Carry the plate out into the sunshine.
That’s it. That’s lunch.
Well, it could be. But you might need a little bit more. We’re talking minimal effort here, so you can also add a soft piece of cheese, a wedge of sourdough, some ribbons of prosciutto or an elbow of kielbasa. Pluck some basil leaves and toss those wedges with a sun-ripened tomato and some simple vinaigrette. Or get really motivated and grill them to serve with pork chops, or vanilla ice cream.
The point is, a perfectly ripe nectarine is practically a meal in itself. While in season, everything should revolve around it, because it’s really all you need to make everything taste like summer.
To ripen, simply choose nice firm nectarines, wash and dry and place in a paper bag. Close up the top and leave them alone for a few days to soften. You can tell they’re ready when a sniff of the stem end elicits an involuntary sigh of joy at their heady perfume. During stone fruit season it makes sense to have many paper bags on the go at once in order to have a constant supply of nectarines (also plums, peaches and apricots). Write the date on the bag so you can keep track.
And when you get tired of keeping things extremely simple and low key, when you feel like spending some time in the kitchen crafting a recipe, then look no further. From grilled cheese (!) to granitas, we got you covered:
A delicious fool by Sifting Focus
White Nectarine & Rosé Granita
Poached White Nectarines w/ Elderflower Cordial
Grilled Cheese w/ Nectarine & Prosciutto